Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season

4. A locked-in, healthy LeBron James

Last season was supposed to be the transition point for the Los Angeles Lakers. After too-long being locked out of the playoffs they had a true superstar back in the purple-and-gold.

The arrival of LeBron James was bright hope and sometimes swaggering confidence and it all collapsed into disappointment. James was injured much of the season and defensively disinterested when he played.

History suggests that the LeBron James of last season was an aberration. Prior to last season James had never missed more than 13 games in a season, but missed 27 a year ago.

In addition James was on an eight-year streak of making the NBA Finals, making a missed playoff berth stick out like a sore thumb.

This season James has a better team around him, not only his star running mate Anthony Davis but a more talented and better-fitting roster overall. James enters the season healthy and while he has logged a lot of NBA minutes there is no specific reason to expect him to miss more time.

With higher stakes this season James should be not only available but more committed to excellence while on the court.

Could James make another, perhaps final run at an MVP award? It’s not out of the question, especially if the Lakers make the expected leap forward.

Probably more important to James will be seizing back his “best-in-the-world” title and being in position for his team to win the championship.